


llcplaysguitar's Mystery Girl

by verfound



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: 50 Shades of Dorks in Love, Endgame Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Stupidity, Friends to Dumbasses, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, Prompt Fic, They're stupid your honor, Tumblr Ask Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-11 08:29:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28468305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/verfound/pseuds/verfound
Summary: Marinette’s pretty sure she missed her chance with Luka, but she’s a supportive friend and will like every post he makes about his Mystery Girl if she makes him happy.  Meanwhile, Luka’s pretty sure Marinette knows she’s the one he’s been raving about on Tumblr all day and all the likes are a subtle little nod that yes, she would like him to finally ask her out already…
Relationships: Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 15
Kudos: 151
Collections: Crikey!  A Wild Dingo has Appeared!





	llcplaysguitar's Mystery Girl

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lovebugs_and_Snake_Charmers](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lovebugs_and_Snake_Charmers/gifts).



> A wee bit ago, a prompt generator got shared in the LBSC Sprint server, and even though I had Other Projects I needed to finish up first I was a DUMMY and clicked on it. I got this prompt: “Marinette and Luka aren’t together yet, but thy like each other and they are mutual on twitter/Tumblr. Luka accidentally publishes a tweet/post about their crush on Marinette on their main account, when they meant to put it on a private side account. Marinette is too dense to realize it’s obviously about them, but it still worries them enough to ask a rather mortified Luka about it.”
> 
> I have the willpower of a poorly-trained puppy, so I started kicking ideas around, and the next thing I knew I had about 11k of what Quick called “Fifty Flavors of Dorks in Love”. Because I like my ships STUPID. xD (Also I borrowed Evan for like 5m – thanks, Quick!)
> 
> ANYWAY. Last fic of the year, folks! Sending this one out to all the lovelies at LBSC, because they’re a buncha dirty, rotten Enablers. <3 Half the anything you get from me would not happen without them. Love you guys – you made 2020 survivable. The world may be going to hell, but I can’t wait to see what fics 2021 brings us.

Marinette yawned, lifting her arms high above her head in a stretch. It was well past her bedtime, and she was _exhausted_ , but she had been in a groove and hadn’t wanted to quit. Besides, it wasn’t like she had school in the morning: it was summer break, and she didn’t even have bakery duty tomor…later! In fact, her only plans for the coming day consisted of heading over to the Liberty to listen to Kitty Section’s rehearsal. She was planning on bringing the latest prototypes and sketches she had for the merch they wanted to bring to a festival they’d be playing towards the end of summer, but those were already done, and it wasn’t like the band had given her a strict _deadline_ (beyond the actual festival, which was still two months away). The Couffaines didn’t even wake up until almost noon, anyway, so she could afford to sleep in a little. She could…

…her phone pinged with a notification, and she pulled it up to check. Given the hour, it was most likely a random mailing list e-mail.

…or a notification that _llcplaysguitar_ had _just made a Tumblr post. We’ve noticed they’re a favorite of yours!_

She glanced at the time, blinking. She wasn’t really surprised to see Luka was still up, but he didn’t usually post anything this late. Curious, she clicked on the notification.

**_DingoAteMyBaby asked:_ ** _yoooooo posting a LOT of that mushy crap today mate. did I miss something? how could u not tell I’m your best mate?_ 😭😭😭

Marinette blinked at her screen. What…? What was Dingo getting at – and _why_ had he sent an _ask_ instead of a DM or a text? He had Luka’s phone number. What on earth was he trolling at now? Before looking at Luka’s response, she scrolled down to the earlier posts on his blog. She hadn’t actually been on Tumblr that day, so she wasn’t even sure what Dingo was asking about, but sure enough…there was a _lot_ of _mushy crap_ in Luka’s feed. Sappy love songs, romantic quotes, mood boards filled with soft pinks and pretty flowers and fancy macarons, smiling pictures of couples doing various things (all tagged as _date ideas_ )…and none of it was very _Luka_. Well. Maybe the songs – he usually posted songs, but not songs like _that?_ He tended to promote original content or other YouTubers. Like the awesome metal cover of “Be A Man” he had shared a few days ago. Not…not…stripped-down covers of _Taylor Swift songs_.

(Not that she disliked Taylor Swift, but even though she knew Luka admired her as a lyricist she wasn’t exactly his _style_. There _had_ been that punk cover of “Blank Space” he’d shown her, but she certainly had never expected him to post the Piano Guys’ cover of “Love Story” on his personal blog, at least, even though she knew he also loved their work.)

She clicked back, now curious herself as to what the heck she had missed. She clicked on the ask, her eyes narrowing as she read Luka’s reply.

**_llcplaysguitar answered:_ ** _haha nah man you know you’ll be the first (second?) to know. but maybe this weekend? i’m asking her after practice tomorrow._ 🤞💙

The phone dropped from her suddenly numb hands.

_i’m asking her after practice tomorrow._

…her?

Asking _her_ what? There was usually only…and with everything Luka had been posting that day… _date ideas_ …there was a _her?_

But Luka hadn’t said _anything_. Granted, he was under no obligation to – she wasn’t his…his…his _girlfriend_ or anything – but they _were_ close, and Luka told her _everything_ , so…it’s just…she would have _thought_ he’d have mentioned something about…a _Her._ A _Her_ that wasn’t…her.

But why would he? He owed her nothing. He had never been anything but open and honest about his feelings towards her, and she…she had wasted so much time. She had been unable to make up her mind, and once she _had_ …

…she was too late. She had waited too long. She had waffled. She had lost her nerve every time he’d look at her like…and she’d _wanted_ to tell him, she had, but she had been terrified of losing what they had, and now…now there was a _Her_ , and she was coming to practice, and Luka was going to ask her out, and it was over. Marinette had lost him.

She was going to be sick.

She was numb. She was barely aware of bending over to pick up her phone, her eyes glazing over when she reread his reply. She wasn’t even aware of her thumb tapping the little heart in the bottom corner of the post, or making her way to her bed. She dropped her phone on its charger and crawled under the covers, where she cried herself to sleep.

Because Luka Couffaine had a _Her_.

And it wasn’t…her.

– V –

Luka should have been in bed…well. At least an hour ago. Not that his sleep schedule was anything close to resembling consistent – especially in the summer – but he did have band practice the next…er, _later_ that day, and work after, so he should at least _try_ and get some sleep.

He’d been a little…distracted lately, though. Motivated. _Inspired_.

He was finally going to ask Marinette out. And this time, he would leave absolutely _no room_ for doubt when he did so. He would make sure that Marinette knew he wanted to date her, to give them a chance to be something more than just friends. He’d been looking up date ideas all day, and he had a few options planned out, which was…weird, yeah, for him. He was definitely _not_ the Planning Type, not like Marinette was, but…he was hoping if he presented her with actual _options_ instead of just some vague idea…

He was really hoping she’d say yes.

He was pretty sure she would: she’d been spending more and more time aboard the Liberty, and they’d been getting closer and closer for _months_ now. By this point, he was pretty sure she liked him back. He felt he knew her well enough, was confident enough in that fact, to say that much.

…he really wanted her to say yes.

He dropped his phone on his chest with a sigh, closing his eyes and settling his head back on his pillow. He really hoped he’d been reading things right, at least. She had _told him_ she was over Adrien, that she was happy for him and Kagami – that she could realize now that what she had felt for the model had only been a silly (he’d never call her _crazy_ , even if she had herself) crush at best. She was ready to move on.

There had been something in her eyes – a fondness, a yearning – that had made him think – _hope_ – that she was maybe ready to move on…with _him_.

And wouldn’t that just be awesome?

A pinging from his phone had him picking it back up. Probably another message from Dingo. He was back in Australia visiting family for the summer, and reception was _horrible_. He’d been sending a lot of Tumblr messages whenever the wifi was strong enough, because half the time his phone wasn’t working and, when it was, the international charges were a _bitch_.

Sure enough, it was a notification from Tumblr – but not one from Dingo.

**_mdcdesigns_ ** _liked your ask._

A stupid little smile curled his lips at the sight of her username. He’d found out about her Tumblr by accident a few weeks ago, and they’d been semi-stalking each other ever since…

_“…you’re on Tumblr?” Marinette asked, leaning closer to peer over his shoulder at his phone. His eyes flicked up to her, a little grin curling his lips._

_“…are you telling me you like my shoelaces, Ma-Ma-Marinette?” he teased, but she just blinked back at him._

_“Er…sure?” she answered. His smile grew when she leaned over his shoulder, pressing herself against his back, in an attempt to see his sneakers. She cocked her head to the side, and he hide to bite down on the inside of his lip to keep from smiling_ too _widely – or from kissing her. When she pouted her lips like that, that look of creative concentration stealing over her face, it took a lot to not just…kiss it off her. He’d been thinking about that a lot more lately…probably…_ definitely _a lot more than he should. “I mean, compared to the rest of your shoes, they’re…kinda plain, y’know? But if you did anything else with them then your shoes might get_ too _busy, but…maybe black instead of white? I don’t know, I mean…hey, are you laughing at me?”_

_He was. He honestly was._

_“It’s a meme, Marinette,” he chuckled, reaching up to flick her nose. “Ancient Tumblr Code to identify users offline. ‘I like your shoelaces.’ ‘Thanks, I stole them from the president.’ It’s just a joke.”_

_“…oh,” she said, and he breathed a little steadier when she leaned away, settling back down beside him. She leaned right back in, though, resting her head on his shoulder as she continued to look down at his phone. “I haven’t been on that long, honestly. Alya said it might be fun. I mostly just reblog fashion stuff. Sometimes I cross-post from my Insta, but…you know. Keeping up an online presence to get your name out there.”_

_“That’s why I started,” he said, nodding. “Penny suggested it, and I figured it wouldn’t hurt. I’ve connected with some cool people, though, and it’s getting the band’s music out there, so I don’t mind.” He nudged her with his shoulder, grinning as he went to the search bar. “Hey, what’s your username? I want to follow you.”_

_“Nooo, that’s a_ terrible _idea,” she whined, pressing her face against his t-shirt. “You’re too cool for my lame blog. You’ll hate it.”_

_“Never,” he chuckled, resting his forehead against her head. “C’mon. What’s your name?”_

_“…mdcdesigns,” she mumbled. He grinned as he typed it in. A moment later, he had found and followed her. She jumped at the buzz in her pocket, and she fished out her phone to see the notification_

**llcplaysguitar** is now following you! Hooray!

_She was smiling when she peeked back up at him._

_“LLC?” she asked. He shrugged, smiling when he saw the notification saying she had followed him back._

_“Luka Llewellyn Couffaine,” he said. She didn’t even blink at his middle name – which was kinda nice. Dingo had given him so much crap over it when he first learned it (not that_ Peregrine _had any right to talk). “It seemed straightforward enough, wherever music takes me. It got Penny’s seal of approval, at least.”_

_“Penny’s amazing,” Marinette said with a smile. She was scrolling through his blog. That was cool: he was busy scrolling through hers, too. “I’m really glad you kept in touch with her. Jagged and Penny are great contacts to have.”_

_She didn’t say more than that, and he was grateful. He was still…the_ Jagged Thing _was still weird, honestly._

_“Yeah, well…” he started, clearing his throat as he looked back at his phone. He had just reblogged a post she’d made the week before, showcasing a skirt she had been working on. It looked amazing on her. He wondered if he’d get to see it in person any time soon. “I just hope you’re ready for a lot of boring music stuff. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m kind of a music nerd.”_

_He winked at her, and she giggled as she rested her head back against his shoulder. He closed his eyes and breathed deep, taking the moment to just…enjoy it. He could hear the others approaching, knew practice would be starting any minute and she’d be leaping away from him with a red face and a stuttered apology. She hummed, and a notification saying she’d liked one of his posts popped up on his screen._

_“That’s cool,” she said, liking another post. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I kind of like music nerds.”_

They’d stayed there, scrolling through the other’s blogs in a companionable silence, until the rest of the band had arrived. He’d been pleasantly surprised when, instead of leaping away like he’d thought she would, she met Rose’s excited squeal with a kiss to his cheek and a gentle shove, telling him to _get to work, rock star._

He glanced back at his phone, smiling as his thumb hovered over the screen, staring at her name for a moment before he tapped it. He was curious what ask she had liked – he didn’t remember answering any lately, but she hadn’t really been active for a few days. It was possible she was catching up on his posts, or it had been one he’d reblogged, or…

…or he had answered Dingo’s ask about all the _mushy crap_ he’d been posting publicly. Like a fucking idiot.

His grip tightened on his phone as he bolted up, his eyes blowing wide as he stared at the answer where he had all but said he was asking her out. True, he hadn’t said her _name_ , because there was only one _Her_ he could possibly mean, and anyone who knew him would know that, and he had thought he was privately answering Dingo, and Dingo would _definitely_ know that, and…she had liked the ask.

_She had liked the ask_.

She.

Had.

Liked.

The.

Ask.

…did she know? Did she realize? She had to. She _had_ to know he meant her. Right? Right. How could she not? She…she…God, he was over-thinking it. He was going straight into one of her panic spirals. Of course she knew. She liked it because she was trying to tell him she was ok with him asking her out. Y’know. _Subtly_. Because it was Marinette, and Marinette tended to freak out and panic about stuff like _dates_ and _asking guys out_ , and liking the post was probably easier for her than saying, “Yes, please, ask me out!”

…she wanted him to ask her out.

He was smiling so wide it hurt. He felt like he could start giggling – and a giddy little laugh definitely escaped him when he fell back on his bed, holding up his phone and refreshing his notifications in hopes that she’d like another post – preferably one of those #Date Ideas he’d reblogged, giving him a hint as to what they could do the coming weekend. Not that it actually mattered, because he was going to ask her out, and she was going to say yes, and no matter what they did…they’d be together. _On a date._ God, he felt like he was _flying_ …

He fell asleep, his phone still in his hands and his face illuminated by the notifications screen, waiting for another like that never came.

– V –

Luka was in love.

Luka was in love with a funny, amazing, talented girl who had _rockin’ taste in music_. Who just so happened to be the most beautiful girl he’d ever met – inside and out. Who he’d been talking to a lot lately, and he was completely smitten by (ok, maybe those were her words – he had said he was _completely STUPID_ for Her), and he was going to ask her out. Because she was going to be at practice. Because she knew the band. And because _Luka was in love with her._

Marinette felt like such an _idiot_.

Asks kept pouring in throughout the day: other followers that had also seen Dingo’s ask, who were all excited for him, who all wanted more details on his Mystery Girl, and Luka…Luka had been more than happy to just… _rave_ about her. He’d waxed poetic about her _beautiful soul_ for three lengthy paragraphs, of course ending the post with an acoustic cover of Jesse McCartney’s “Beautiful Soul”. And Marinette hadn’t even cared about how cheesy his song choice was, because he’d slowed it down and sang it with this little growl and had frickin _winked_ at the camera when he was done, and really how fair was any of that? And the way he’d been smiling in the video the entire time he played…reading what he’d been saying all day…he seemed so _happy_. Happier than she’d seen him in a while. And this Mystery Girl did sound kind of amazing, and if she made Luka this happy…

Marinette was his friend. Just his good friend. How could she stand in the way of something that he clearly wanted? That made him smile like that? It didn’t matter if it wasn’t because of her, because that was _stupid_ and _selfish_ and…she was happy for him. Even if she felt like her stupid heart was shattering into a million little pieces, she was happy for him.

So she liked every post. The beautiful cover of a cheesy teenybopper pop song. The earnest thanks for the well-wishes and good lucks. The reply that he didn’t have the date _planned out_ per se, but he had a few options he was leaving up to her _if she said yes_ (which…honestly, why wouldn’t she? She’d have to be a moron to say no to Luka!). The stupid gifs he’d respond with when he didn’t want to say anything _too_ incriminating (but were plenty incriminating all their own). The stupid idiot who had asked if any of them knew her, if he’d posted about her on his blog before…

**_llcplaysguitar answered:_ ** _haha maaaaybe? i can definitely say there’s pictures of her on here, but i’m not pointing her out unless she’s ok with it. except she’s not the one with the purple hair (you guys know Jules – gross!). (but she’s crazy talented and you guys should follow the shit out of her. this girl completely blows my mind._ 💙 _)_

…that had sent her spiraling, just a little, combing through his posts to see if she could figure out who the Mystery Girl was. Was she actually in a picture or video _with_ Luka? Had he just reblogged content from her own blog – and if so, _who?_ He had a lot of musical mutuals that he knew, both local and not, and it could have been _anyone_.

She was a few weeks into her scrolling when she’d found one of her very first posts, the first one he’d reblogged from her, and she scrunched her nose as she studied the skirt she was modeling. The picture was flattering enough, though you could only see a bit of her stomach and her legs as the whole point had been to showcase the skirt. She’d been so proud of it when she’d first finished it, but after staring at it a few days she had realized it was garbage and had scrapped it to try again. Why had Luka reblogged it? It was so…so… _basic_.

It had made the kwamis a nice little beanbag, though. So. Not a _total_ waste.

As the day drug on – as more asks poured in – she only felt worse. It’s not like she had _intentionally_ been looking for them, either, but she had set the app to notify her every time Luka made a post. So all day, every time he answered another ask, her phone would buzz with a notification.

**_New post from llcplaysguitar._ ** _They seem to be a favorite of yours._

****

**_llcplaysguitar made a new post._ ** _You’ll want to see this, mdcdesigns._

**_New post from llcplaysguitar._ ** _They’re a favorite of yours, we’ve noticed._ ❤

She wasn’t _intentionally_ seeking the posts out, but she was also a glutton for punishment, and every time her phone buzzed she found herself tapping on the notification. Morbidly curious to see what he had to say _now_.

Each time only made it worse.

She had no idea how she was going to face him at practice. How she was going to face _Her_ at practice. Tikki, who had been hovering by her shoulder all day in concern, nuzzled her temple and smiled at her holder.

“You don’t have to go, Marinette,” she said softly. Marinette just whined and curled tighter around her pillow, dropping her phone to her bed.

She could be the bigger person tomorrow. She could be happy for him tomorrow.

Today, she just wanted to nurse her breaking heart.

– V –

When Luka woke up later that morning, he realized he may have fucked up. Just a little.

There hadn’t been any new notifications from _mdcdesigns_ , but there had been a flood of asks from anons and other followers. Luka had blinked blearily at his phone, not fully comprehending the sheer number of notifications (his blog had fairly decent traffic, yeah, but he had over a hundred notifications just from the past few hours…), before checking if he’d possibly missed a text from Marinette instead. There was nothing there, either. Her last text had been from the previous night, when she had sent him a picture and told him she couldn’t wait to show him the merch prototypes at practice. In the photo, she was holding up a kitticorn pin and winking, a finger pressed over her lips like the pin was a big secret.

…he may have stared at those lips a bit longer than he should have. They were, in his completely biased opinion, very kissable lips.

He’d tossed his phone back on the bed and shambled his way to the bathroom. She’d probably fallen asleep. It had been really late when he’d gotten her like, so she had probably fallen asleep not long after and was still sleeping. He wasn’t going to worry.

And why would he? Marinette liked him. Marinette wanted him to ask her out. Today was going to be _great._

He’d grabbed his phone from his bed after he’d showered and dressed, checking it again before heading out to the galley. Still nothing from Marinette. That was cool. He was cool. He’d opened Tumblr and started sifting through his inbox.

…his followers had kind of gone _nuts_ over Dingo’s question. _Dingo_ had gone nuts. He’d reblogged the ask, ranting about _how proud he was of his baby boy_ , and _I’m totally the best man at the wedding, right_ , and _how could you do this when I’m not even in the country to celebrate with you?!_ There was even a Hamilton gif of one of the sisters singing, _“And there you are an ocean away – do you have to be an ocean away?”_ He had _not_ tagged Marinette or said her name, though, and for that Luka was thankful. At least Dingo seemed to have _some_ sense in his brain (even if Luka hadn’t).

There had also been a shit ton of asks from people who couldn’t possibly know who he had been referring to and were all dying for more information…

**_starsxxguitarsxx asked:_ ** _omg Luka!!! u have a girlfriend?!?!?! what’s she like????_

**_pennywiseforyourthoughts asked:_ ** _Congrats on the girl! That’s great news, man!_

**_JaggedStoneFuckedYourMom asked:_ ** _Aaaaaahhhhh there’s a girl?!?!? Do we know her?!?!?!_ 👀

**_My-Whole-Life-Is-1-Big-Dark-Room asked:_ ** _I am appalled and disgusted I am finding out this way, Couffaine. (Congratulations. You make me sick._ 🖤 _)_

**_headbang_schmedbang asked:_ ** _I’m scream!crying on the inside why r all the hot 1s taken?!_ 😭😭😭

And on and on it had gone, a mix of congratulations and curiosity digging for more details about llcplaysguitar’s new ‘Mystery Girl’. He’d crunched his way through a bowl of dry cereal (…maybe two) as he’d answered them all – or at least most of them, as some had gotten…a little repetitive. His answers were all generic enough, mostly just thanks and amusement at how interested people seemed to be in his love life. And maybe a few nods about how _amazing_ the girl in question was, just in case she was still looking. About half an hour in, though, he’d noticed _mdcdesigns_ had started liking his replies. He’d gotten a bit bolder after that, peppering in little details that would go right over a stranger’s head but he knew Marinette would be sure to understand – that would leave no doubt in her mind how completely nuts he was about her. She was probably going to kill him for it later, but he couldn’t wait to see her blushing face when she called him out on his shit.

…and she was definitely going to kill him, especially after he went off for a good page or two about how amazing she was and how much she inspired him – how absolutely breathtaking he found her, not just her outer beauty but her inner beauty as well. And then he’d been grabbing George, settling back on the couch as he recorded a slowed-down acoustic cover of an old Jesse McCartney song, and…yeah. She was _definitely_ going to kill him. He couldn’t wait.

His followers were eating it up, though, and she kept liking the posts, so he assumed she was, too.

It’s not like she could really blame him, though. He was _nuts_ about her, and after so long of keeping it bottled inside…he’d never shied away from telling her how amazing he thought she was, but he _had_ maybe dialed it back a little. He’d always been fully aware of where she stood: even if he was a close friend, her heart belonged to someone else. And even when she’d started looking at him differently, he knew she still flustered easily. So he’d always told her how amazing she was, but maybe not as…enthusiastically as he otherwise would have.

The steady stream of likes had been like a silent nod, though. A quiet permission that it was ok to rave about her, that she was finally ready to hear everything he’d been holding back.

So he just…stopped holding back. She was incredible, and he wanted everyone to know it. So, even if he didn’t actually use her name and kept referring to her as _Mystery Girl_ , he did.

**_Anonymous asked:_ ** _omg Luka you’re too cute! I wish someone would ramble about me like that!_ 😭

**_llcplaysguitar answered:_ ** _someone should. :) i could go on forever about her…guys i’ve got it so bad. i could seriously marry her someday. :)_

He’d worried for just a moment that he had _maybe_ gone too far with that one, but a few minutes after he’d posted…she had liked it. He’d flipped back over to his texts, but she still hadn’t messaged him. She’d done nothing but like his posts all morning.

There was no doubt in his mind that she was absolutely, one hundred percent going to straight-up murder him when she finally showed up for practice, but there was also no doubt in his mind that it was going to be absolutely, one hundred percent worth it.

He couldn’t wait.

– V –

Except practice was supposed to start twenty minutes ago, and Marinette still wasn’t there.

Which…wasn’t _totally_ uncommon, in general, because Marinette was late a lot. Rarely to practice, though – she usually showed up early, just to give them more time together. During the school year, she had started coming straight over with Juleka and Rose once classes let out. Once summer hit, she’d just show up whenever – which was partly why he’d been so surprised he hadn’t seen her earlier in the day.

Honestly, he’d half-expected her to be waiting with a fresh box of croissants when he’d shambled out to the galley that morn…ternoon. That had happened more than a few times already since school had let out.

Even Mylène, who usually showed up late because she’d been helping out at her uncle’s flower shop over the summer, was already there, but there was still no sign of Marinette.

“Did she say anything to you guys?” he asked, checking his phone between songs. Still nothing. She hadn’t even texted him since the night before. Juleka rolled her eyes at him. She’d been annoyed at his _distraction_ since they’d started playing _ten minutes late_.

“She’d say something to _you_ before she’d say something to _us_ ,” Juleka mumbled. Rose lightly thwapped her shoulder, gently scolding her.

“ _Juleka_ ,” she admonished. “You know that’s not true. She’s _our_ friend, so it’s entirely possible –”

“Yeah, but she’s _Luka’s_ – hey!” Ivan squawked, ducking as Luka and Rose both threw half-drunk water bottles at him. He rubbed the back of his neck, shrugging. “I mean it’s kinda true. I can’t be the only one seeing it.”

“Oh, we’re all seeing it,” Juleka mumbled. “Frickin’ _gross_.”

“It’s _sweet_ ,” Rose corrected, sighing with a dreamy little look in her eyes. Juleka snorted. “Young love, guys! It’s _romantic!_ ”

“You don’t have to hear him moaning your friend’s name in his sleep,” she grumbled. Luka was suddenly regretting throwing his water bottle at _Ivan_.

“J-Jules!” he snapped. God, his face felt like it was on fire…it probably was, from the way the others were snickering at him. “I do not!”

“One time you did,” she scoffed. He scowled at her, but she just rolled her eyes and sipped her own water. “Look, if you’re so worried, why don’t you just text her? Something might’ve come up. I’m sure she’s fine, though.”

“Go on,” Rose said gently, walking over to him with a new water from the cooler they kept by the stage. “Besides, she said she was bringing the new merch, so we know she was _supposed_ to be here – it’s only natural to check in! _Go on._ ”

“And then can we _please_ get to actually practicing?” Juleka grumbled, picking a few notes on her bass.

He gave Rose a grateful smile and put his guitar back in her stand. He ignored Juleka’s smirk – and the tongue she stuck out at him – and brought up Marinette’s text chain.

_LC: hey mari_

_LC: you still coming? it’s getting kinda late._

_LC: no pressure just…worried. i was looking forward to seeing you today. :)_

She didn’t answer right away. He saw the typing bubble floating at the bottom of his screen, but it was another minute or two before she actually replied.

_MDC: Sorry. Not coming today._

O…k…?

He was still staring at his phone, wondering at her brevity, when the typing bubble started flickering again. After another moment, she sent him a second message. Followed by another. And another.

_MDC: Sorry. I’m sick. Woke up feeling crummy – haven’t really been out of bed._

_MDC: Don’t think I have the energy to make it, and I don’t want to get everyone sick._

_MDC: Big show coming up! :)_

_MDC: I’ll be fine._

_MDC: Thanks for checking in. You’re a good friend, Luka._

The rapid-fire texts were…very Marinette, but they didn’t do a whole lot to ease his concern. They almost sounded like excuses.

“Yo, Romeo!” Ivan called, tapping his drumsticks to get Luka’s attention. He turned back to the band, and they were all watching him expectantly. “We good?”

“Yeah, we’re…she’s sick,” he said, tapping out a quick _feel better_ before he stashed his phone back in his pocket. “Not coming today.”

“…aww,” Rose sighed, wringing her hands around her microphone anxiously. She glanced back at Juleka. “We should take her some soup after practice. Check in on her.”

“I’ve got it,” Luka said, picking Claire up off her stand and slinging the strap around his neck. Juleka’s eyes narrowed.

“You have work,” she said. He shrugged.

“I’m a delivery guy,” he said, rolling his eyes. “I can work in one more delivery on my route to make sure she’s ok. I’ve got it.”

He ignored Rose’s grin and Juleka’s smirk as Ivan counted them in, and then the stage exploded with their next song.

He tried not to worry too much as they played. It made sense, if she wasn’t feeling well, why she hadn’t actually messaged him all day. Why she’d only liked his posts. Still, there was something that was bugging him about her texts. Something that had been _off_ …

_You’re a good friend, Luka…_

He was sure it was nothing. She just wasn’t feeling great. He’d check up on her tonight, and everything would be fine. He was sure of it.

– V –

If Marinette had been feeling bad before, she was feeling like absolute crap now.

She was still in bed, curled around her cat pillow as she flipped through her phone. As she reread every post Luka had made through the day, scouring her mind for any possible match to this _Mystery Girl_ he’d been raving about. She _had_ to know her, right? If she was as big a deal as Luka was making it sound…sure, Luka had his own circle. He had his own friends from his own school, and people he knew from work – people that Marinette had never met or had only met briefly. It was entirely possible she was from his Non-Marinette Circle. Her mind had immediately gone to his friend Brielle, but she had only met her a few times, and from what Luka had told her…

_“…wait, what?” Luka laughed, his eyebrows disappearing beneath his bangs as he gave her an amused look. Her lip pouted out. She didn’t think it was_ that _strange a question, asking if he was interested in the brunette he’d been talking to inside the café. He’d introduced her as a friend from school named Brielle. She was very attractive, and they’d had this comradery about them that just…they seemed to_ mesh _. “Bri? Oh, hell no. No, no, no. That’s…no.”_

_“Stop laughing,” Marinette…ok, she whined, she was definitely whining. She stirred the ice in her blueberry green tea, keeping her eyes on her toes so he wouldn’t see her blush. She’d have to repaint them soon – the pink was chipping… “She seems…nice.”_

_“She is,” he laughed. He leaned back in his chair, propping his elbow on the little fence that separated the café’s outdoor seating area from the sidewalk. A warm smile curled his lips as he looked out at the people passing by. “We’ve been friends forever. She’s not…we’re not like that, though. Besides, Dingo would kill me if I ever tried anything.”_

_“Dingo?” she asked, her nose scrunching at the mention of his…_ eccentric _best friend. She’d only met him a handful of times before he’d left the country for the summer, but he had certainly left an impression – and Luka had had no end of stories about him._

_“You’ll see when school starts,” he chuckled, and Marinette smiled at the reminder that they’d be attending the same school next year. “Ding’s…I’m still not sure if she’s going to marry him or murder him half the time. They’re not together_ yet _, but give it time.”_

_“You sound so sure,” she said, her smile softening at the look on his face – the one he always got when he was talking about the people he cared about. It was a nice look. He glanced back at her, and the way his smile quirked up at the corner made her heart flutter._

_“Some things you can be sure about, Marinette,” he said, and she wasn’t entirely certain he was talking about Brielle and Dingo anymore…_

So she was fairly certain that, even if Mystery Girl was one of his school friends, she wasn’t Bri. And yet…

Marinette couldn’t shake the feeling that she _should_ know her. If she was that important to Luka, that big of a deal, he definitely would have mentioned her. She would have met her. Unless…the only other possible answer made her stomach twist even more.

Was she really so self-absorbed and selfish that he _had_ and she just…hadn’t noticed? Or worse…that he hadn’t mentioned her around Marinette because…because he knew Marinette wouldn’t want to know? Or that she’d been too wrapped up in _Adrien_ and her own drama to care (or at least that he’d thought she’d be)?

Which…that wasn’t fair! Of _course_ she cared – it was _Luka!_ She cared about everything he cared about! He was her friend, her… _he was her friend_ , so of course she’d care if he’d found someone who actually made him happy! Someone who wasn’t hung up on someone else and could actually give him what he deserved! Someone who…someone who…

_Someone who isn’t you._

She’d just been about to throw her phone away, convinced she needed to stop looking at Luka’s Tumblr and torturing herself, when his text message came through.

Because she’d missed practice. Because he was worried. _Because he’d been looking forward to seeing her._

And that had only made her feel worse, because he shouldn’t be worried about _her_ when his Mystery Girl was there! He shouldn’t be looking forward to seeing _her_ when…but she stopped that thought before it could take root, realizing she’d probably misread his message. He wasn’t looking forward to seeing _her_. He couldn’t be. He was probably just looking forward to seeing her _prototypes_. He’d just left out a word. People do it all the time, right?

So…she lied to him. And that just made her feel even worse. God, no wonder Luka liked someone else. Someone who wasn’t constantly lying to him about everything. She wouldn’t like her, either.

“Marinette…” Tikki sighed, nuzzling her hair. “You’re spiraling.”

“So?” she grumbled, her voice muffled and raw. She pressed her face closer to her pillow. She wasn’t _spiraling_. She deserved every little bit of her self-flagellation, no matter what Tikki said.

She must have drifted off at some point, but a buzzing in her hand had her jolting awake again. She stared blearily at her phone, blinking at the new message to bring it into focus.

_JC: yo lu said ur sick?_

_JC: we’re tryin 2 convince him 2 let us bring u soup_

_JC: dumbass has 2 work n thinks he can sneak a visit in during a delivery_

Marinette blinked a few more times as she woke up. It took a few seconds, but then she was bolting up in her bed, her phone clutched in a death grip as Tikki flew from her head with a yelp. Her kwami hovered in front of her, rubbing her own sleepy eyes as she asked Marinette what was going on.

“Tikki…” she gulped, staring at her phone, “…he’s coming here.”

Tikki dropped onto her shoulder and read Juleka’s texts. A little frown curled her lips.

“No,” she said, shaking her tiny head, “it says he’s _trying_ to come here. Why don’t you just tell Juleka it’s ok if she comes by?”

“Because there’s no way Luka’s going to let her! He’s going to insist that _he has to_ , and then he’s going to find out I’m lying, and then –” she cried, her words growing faster and more jumbled with every harried excuse.

“Marinette!” Tikki snapped, flying up and slapping a flipper against her chosen’s cheek. Marinette blinked at her, and Tikki sighed. “Just tell Juleka what you told Luka. You don’t want to get them sick, so please don’t come. Trust Juleka to keep Luka away. It’s _fine_ , Marinette. It’s ok.”

Marinette looked down at her phone, swallowing thickly. Her thumbs hovered over the keyboard, hesitating.

_MDC: Thanks Jules but really you all should stay away._

_MDC: I’ve been so gross all day. I don’t want any of you catching this._ 🤢

A moment later Juleka responded with a _feel better_ and a thumb’s up, and Marinette sighed as she dropped back to her bed. Tikki nuzzled her hair again, telling her it would be all right, but Marinette wasn’t convinced. She looked at her phone again, pulling up Luka’s text chain.

_MDC: Juleka said you were bringing soup? Please don’t._

_MDC: I’m fine Luka. Promise. Don’t go out of your way._

Yesterday, she would have thought Luka was the sweetest guy for thinking of her like that, and she would have added a little pink heart at the end of her message. Yesterday she would have hoped he’d ignore her and come anyway.

But that was yesterday. Before _Her_. Luka’s… _Mystery Girl_.

So she sent the text and put the phone away before she could second-guess herself. She didn’t add a heart.

– V –

When Luka got to work and checked in with Evan, the night manager, he was somewhat relieved to hear it had been a slow day. He was even more relieved when it took twenty minutes to get his first delivery phoned in, which meant it should be an even slower night. That should leave him plenty of time to check up on Marinette, despite the multiple texts she had sent him (and that Juleka had also sent) telling him to stay away.

Like he could ever do that. Especially if she wasn’t feeling good. He knew how stubborn she could be, and at the least he had to check on her.

He made short work of that first delivery, and he made sure to take the long way back to Signore’s: the way that would bring him first past that little café near his school that made the soups Marinette liked so much and then past T&S Boulangerie Patisserie. He parked his bike by the side door, but after grabbing the bag of soup (and tea, and crackers, and a few pastries that were definitely not her parents’ but she always seemed to like anyway every time he took her there) he went back to the main entrance. Sabine was nowhere to be seen, but Tom looked up with a massive grin from behind the counter when he heard the bell chime.

“Luka!” he cried with a wave. Luka nodded with a smile and approached the counter.

“Hey, M. Du…Tom,” he said, catching himself as Tom levelled him with that _I’ve Told You To Call Me Tom, Son_ Look. He shifted the bag in his arms, nodding towards it. “Mari said she wasn’t feeling too great today, so I brought her some soup.”

Tom lifted an eyebrow at him, his mustache wiggling with his smile. Luka felt his cheeks warm, but he couldn’t stop his own smile. He knew her parents were under no illusion when it came to his intentions with their daughter: neither had been very subtle in their (not always) silent support of their…relationship. He could call it that now, couldn’t he? It was definitely a relationship.

“I was wondering why she hadn’t been down all day,” Tom said with a chuckle. “We’ve been pretty busy, but I thought it was weird I didn’t see her running off to the boat.”

“Yeah, she was supposed to be at practice, but…” Luka shrugged. Tom smiled and jabbed his thumb towards the back, to the doorway that led to the side entrance and the stairs that would take him up to their flat. “You probably don’t have long,” he added with a meaningful look to Luka’s elbow and knee pads (he’d left his helmet in his basket), “but I’m sure she’d love to see you. Why don’t you go take that up to her?”

“Thank you,” he said, but Tom just chuckled and waved him off. Before he could reach the door, Tom was calling after him.

“Hey, Luka…” he said, making Luka pause and look back. Tom was giving him a considering look. “How long until you can drive, son? Sabine’s out on a delivery right now. We’ve been talking about bringing someone in, and we’d love to have you around more.”

“Ah…I have my motorcycle license already, but I can’t test for my driver’s license until next month,” he answered. Tom hummed, nodding thoughtfully. The little gleam in his eye made Luka’s face feel warmer.

“Think about it, son,” he said. “Just an idea. Besides, I’m sure the van is warmer than your bike. That would be nice during the colder weather.”

“…yeah,” he said, a bemused little smile curling his lips as he nodded back at Tom. “I will. Thanks.”

Evan would skin him alive for even thinking about leaving, but…he liked the idea of working at the bakery. His smile only grew as he jogged up the steps, jostling the bag onto his hip so he could knock on the front door. He liked that idea a lot, actually – especially if it meant more opportunities to see…

“Marinette?” he called, opening the door and stepping into the flat. Everything was quiet, but that didn’t entirely surprise him. Marinette was sick, so of course she’d still be in her room.

He’d be more concerned if she wasn’t.

(Concerned, but not surprised. She was _stubborn_ , and he wouldn’t put it past her to try and push herself when she was sick.)

He kept the bag on his hip and went to the stairs that would take him up to her room. He paused just below the trap door, listening. He couldn’t hear anything above. He hoped that meant she was resting. He’d knock, because he didn’t want to just go in without any warning, and if she was up she’d let him in. No problem. If she wasn’t, he’d just slip in to check on her and leave a note. He’d stash the soup in the fridge, and go back to work, and he’d call her later. Just to make sure she was ok.

…God, when did he become such a _planner?_

“Marinette?” he called, his voice soft but still loud enough that she’d hear him through the closed door. He rapped his knuckles against the wood. “Are you up? Is it ok if I come in?”

There was a crash and a scurry, and he bit down on a smile when it was all followed by a squeak. Ok, so maybe she wasn’t sleeping after all…

“L-Luka?!” he heard her cry, and then her door was open and she was blinking at him with wide, startled eyes. Her face was flushed, and he wondered if she was running a fever. “W-what are you doing here?! You’re supposed to be working – I told you not to come!”

“I’m on my way back,” he said. He shifted on the steps so she could see the carryout bag still on his hip. “Just finished my first delivery, and I wanted to drop this off for you before I head back. It’s been a slow night – they’ll never miss me.”

“Luka…” she sighed, but he kept smiling. She didn’t say it, but he could practically hear her implied, weary _you didn’t have to_.

“You were on the way, and I can’t leave my favorite girl hanging,” he said. She sucked in a breath, her cheeks darkening, and his smile grew. “C’mon, Mari. Please? Can I come in?”

She wavered a moment, looking uncertain, so he stuck out his lower lip in a bit of a pout and batted his eyes at her. She snorted, her hand coming up to cover her mouth, and his grin came back full-force. She rolled her eyes as she moved back, nodding and waving him up. It took a lot not to pull her into a hug and kiss her cheek once he was inside, but he knew she would never forgive herself if he ended up sick, too, and she thought it was her fault. He went straight to her desk instead, setting the bag down and beginning to unpack it. Marinette hung back, her arms wrapped around her middle as she watched him with guarded eyes.

“…you shouldn’t say stuff like that, you know,” she said, her voice so soft and quiet he’d almost missed it. He hummed, still focusing on the bag as he rooted through it. He heard her moving closer.

“Eh?” he asked, pulling out a container of soup. “Stuff like what?”

He glanced over his shoulder at her. She was staring at the floor, her head down, but her face seemed redder. He put the soup down with a _tap_ and moved over to her.

“That…that I’m your _favorite_ ,” she mumbled, but after growing up with Juleka Luka was well-versed in mumbles and had heard her just fine. His lips quirked up in a smile, and he raised his hand to press the back against her forehead.

“Juleka can deal,” he quipped, “she knows she’s still my favorite…well actually, no. _Rose_ is my favorite sister. Jules can just deal. When was the last time you took your temperature? You feel really warm.”

“I-I’m fine,” she said quickly, but he wasn’t convinced. “Thanks for coming by, Luka, but you really didn’t have to. I’m ok.”

…why did he feel like he was being dismissed?

“You said you were sick all day. That you’d barely gotten out of bed. And now you’re flushed and burning up” he said, stepping closer to her. He laid his hands on her shoulders, squeezing gently before sliding them down to rub her arms. “Gotta admit, I really don’t want to leave you alone. I’m worried. And I missed you at practice today.”

She flinched at that, and his smile slipped. What was going on?

“Sorry,” she mumbled. His hands had stilled by her elbows, near where her hands were tucked against her sides, and he squeezed again. Her eyes flicked up to him for half a second, but she wouldn’t hold his gaze.

“Don’t be,” he said, smiling gently. “You can’t control getting sick, Marinette. It happens. Could’ve had better timing, but it’s not your fault.”

She shifted from foot to foot, her eyes still on the floor between them. She cleared her throat before asking, “H-how’d it go, anyway?”

…huh?

“Same as always,” he said with a shrug. “You know. It was practice.”

She frowned, her face scrunching adorably.

“No, not…of course practice was good. You guys are always good,” she huffed, and he chuckled out a thanks. He felt her fingers moving, restlessly plucking at a loose thread on her shirt. “I meant…after.”

“…after?” he asked. Her face burned darker when she glanced up at him.

“You know,” she said, shrugging a little. “Your… _Mystery Girl._ The one you’ve been vague-posting about all day?”

…what?

“Er…” he said, because he couldn’t think of anything to answer her with. He was…confused, to say the least. “It…it didn’t?”

She seemed surprised at that, and that only confused him more. She hadn’t been at practice because she told him she was sick – shouldn’t she…shouldn’t she _know_ that? Of course things hadn’t _Gone_. She hadn’t been there to _Go_ with.

“Oh…” she said, her eyes dropping again. She chewed on her lower lip, and he reached up to gently pull it from her teeth with his thumb. She looked back up at him, her mouth slightly open and…God, he really wanted to kiss her. “I…I thought you were…you said you had something to ask her.”

“Yeah, I did,” he said with a slight chuckle. His hand moved to her neck, his fingers curling to hold her steady – to keep her looking at him – while his thumb brushed her cheek. Her eyes had widened, staring up at him with… “Kind of hard to do that, though, when she didn’t show up.”

“…oh,” Marinette said, her face falling. Her eyes dropped, even if he was keeping her head tilted towards him. He tapped a finger against her neck, but she wouldn’t look back up at him. “That’s…I’m sorry, Luka. It sounds like you really like this girl. Maybe next time?”

Luka was starting to think something had gotten seriously mixed up in their communication. He chuckled, shaking his head in a dazed sort of wonder. There was _no way_ she could actually think…that she hadn’t realized…

But she wasn’t acting like she had realized. And there he’d been, acting _stupid_ all day and dropping hints with all the subtlety of a brick to the head and thinking she had _known,_ and she…

God, no wonder she’d been feeling sick. He would have, too.

“…I more than _really like_ her, Marinette,” he said, lightly squeezing her neck in an attempt to encourage her to look at him. He needed her to look at him, to see… “I’m kind of in love with her. I’m actually really worried about her right now.”

“O-oh?” she asked, still looking at…well, his chest, probably, because he was standing too close to get a good look at his feet. He applied the lightest pressure to her neck, but she kept her gaze down. He bit back a sigh at that. _Just look at me, please…_ He hummed when she still didn’t, nodding.

“Yeah, see…she told me she was sick, so she couldn’t make it to practice,” he said softly, ducking his head closer to hers. She sucked in a breath, her eyes snapping up to finally meet his own. He winked at her. “I think she was lying to me, though.”

“Sh-she…” she stammered. He hadn’t thought her face could get any redder. He pressed his forehead to her own, closing his eyes and smiling.

“And I know for a fact that she _hates_ liars,” he said. He felt her flinch again, and his smile slipped a little. She pulled back, and when he opened his eyes he saw she was looking at her feet again. His hand dropped back to her elbow, rubbing slightly. She really did look queasy, despite her assurances that she was _fine_.

“You should…you should go see _her_ , then,” she said, her voice sounding…kinda bitter, honestly. And a little brittle. Like a missed note, fingers plucking the wrong string in a progression. She tried to move away, but he tightened his grip on her elbows. She tried to smile at him, but that was off, too. “I…I told you. I’ll be fine. Go on, Luka. Besides, you have work. I’ve kept you long enough. Even if it is a slow night. I…what are you doing?”

He had pulled his phone out, though one hand stayed on her arm to keep her from moving any further away. A few quick taps of his thumb and he had the phone to his ear, listening to it ring.

“Signore’s,” Evan answered after the second ring. “Takeout or delivery?”

“Hey, Ev, it’s Luka,” he said. Marinette’s eyes snapped back up at him, but he just smiled and squeezed her elbow. There was a shout in the background of the call, over the buzz of the kitchen. It was followed by raucous laughter, and Luka knew they were no busier now than they’d been when he’d left twenty minutes ago.

“Luka! Where are you?” Evan asked. “You don’t normally take this long on a delivery. Get lost chasing another song?”

“Something like that,” Luka said with a roll of his eyes. “Actually, I ran into a friend. She’s not feeling too great, and I’m taking her home. I really don’t want to leave her – she’s pretty out of it, and – ”

“Whatever,” Evan said with a heavy sigh. Marinette was gawking at him, her eyes wide and mouth moving soundlessly. He released her elbow to press a finger to his lips, winking at her. “We’re dead in here anyway. We’ve had maybe one order come in since you left, and that was for takeaway. Bright and early tomorrow, though, Couffaine.”

“Thanks, Evan,” he said. “I owe you.”

“Yeah, yeah. Pay me back with some of those chocolate cherry macarons from your girlfriend’s bakery,” Evan quipped before hanging up. Luka blinked at Marinette, hoping she hadn’t heard Evan’s jab (he was pretty sure, despite what he had thought all day, that she wouldn’t exactly appreciate it just then). He chuckled, the laugh sounding a little strangled, and slipped his phone back into his pocket. Marinette looked _horrified_ , but he wasn’t sure if it was because she _had_ heard Evan or because he had just bailed on work because of her.

“Luka, you _can’t_ –” she started, but her words cut off with a gasp when he bent down and kissed her forehead.

“Can and did,” he said, staying close enough that his lips brushed against her skin. He leaned back, grinning at her. “Oops. Guess I’m a liar now, too. Whatever will my _Mystery Girl_ do with me now?”

He had hoped she’d laugh at that. Maybe roll her eyes, slap his arm – _something_ that showed she recognized the joke for what it was. That she had realized how wrong she was. Her face pinched instead, and he sighed.

“Oh, Marinette,” he said, leaning his forehead back onto hers. His hands were on her elbows again, but he tugged until the death grip she had on her sides loosened. He coaxed her arms out, running his hands down them until he reached her wrists. She didn’t fight him when he took her hands in his own, wiggling his fingers between hers. That was something, at least. “You really didn’t get it, did you?”

“Get _what?_ ” she asked, fidgeting. He opened his eyes, smiling softly at her.

“There is no _Mystery Girl_ , Marinette,” he said. He squeezed her hand and brought it up to his chest, holding it over his heart. “At least I didn’t think there was. I thought I was being fairly obvious.”

He lifted her hand the rest of the way, until he could press a kiss to her knuckles. He grinned at her through hooded eyes, murmuring, “But I guess I thought I was before, too.”

“I…Luka, you…” she started, but he shook his head and she stopped.

“So let me be _perfectly clear_ this time, Marinette,” he said. “There is no _Mystery Girl_. The only one she’s a mystery to is herself, apparently. She seems to be the only one who hasn’t figured out I’m head over heels, stupid in love with her already. In fact, I’m suddenly _very concerned_ she actually thinks I’m in love with someone else instead. Tell me, Marinette. Do you think Marinette Dupain-Cheng realizes she’s the girl of my dreams, or do I have to be even more obvious about it?”

Her eyes had blown wide, and he chuckled as he squeezed her hand.

“You…you…” she stammered. He kissed her knuckles again, and he really needed to stop doing that. If he wasn’t careful, the next kiss would be on her lips, and he wasn’t quite sure she was ready for that yet.

“Maybe you have some thoughts on how I can convince her?” he whispered, smiling stupidly at her. “I’m running out of ideas here.”

She was quiet for a few long, agonizing moments. Well…not entirely quiet: she was stammering, her mouth moving as her eyes darted around (sometimes landing on him, sometimes glancing off to the side) with little stuttered squeaks coming out. The whole time he stood there, patiently waiting for her to catch up as he kept smiling like the stupid, besotted idiot he was. His thumb brushed over her knuckles, and her eyes snapped to where he was still holding her hand over his heart, and her mouth snapped shut and she swallowed.

“…I…I think I need to sit down,” she finally said. She blinked up at him, but this time she looked less confused and more…dazed. There was a sort of wonder in her eyes, a hope she seemed hesitant to accept. “I… _I’m_ your _Mystery Girl?_ ”

“Marinette…” he sighed, but he was smiling as he leaned his forehead back on her own. “Of _course_ you are. How did you _not_ realize I was talking about you? I wasn’t exactly subtle about anything I said. Yeah, someone who doesn’t know us probably wouldn’t realize it, but… _you_ know me. You know _you._ How did you not realize I was talking about you all day?”

“I…but you…I mean…oh, _I don’t know!”_ she whined, and he chuckled as she buried her face against his chest. Her hands hand come up between them, and he could feel them fisting around his shirt. She thwunked her head against him, and he chuckled as he placed his hand on the back of her head and held her steady. She groaned a little louder. “Luka, honestly! Do you _know_ me?”

“I like to think I do, yeah,” he said, and she pulled back to stare at him, a manic sort of desperation on her face.

“Then you know I’m _hopeless_ with stuff like this!” she said. She pulled away from him, shoving him back a little before throwing her arms up. She started pacing, and all he could do was stand there and watch with a bemused little smile on his face. “I can’t…I don’t…I’m not the most confident person when it comes to guys, ok? You saw me around…I’m a _disaster_ , ok? Of course I was gonna think you meant someone else! Why wouldn’t I?”

“Because in the entire time I’ve known you, from the moment we met, I have shown zero interest in anyone except you,” he said, shaking his head. She paused in her pacing to give him a bewildered look, and he tried not to laugh. He felt like he needed to, but he knew she wouldn’t appreciate it just then. “C’mon, Mari. Think about it. Who else could I have possibly meant? It’s always been you.”

“But I don’t know that! I told you: _I’m a disaster!_ ” she whined. He shook his head firmly.

“You are not – stop saying that, please,” he sighed. She whined and tugged on her pigtails.

“But I am! Here you were, being so sweet and pouring your heart out all day, and I was so _stupid_ and –” she whined, and he sighed again as he crossed the room to grab her arms.

“Marinette, _stop_ ,” he said, but she just shook her head.

“I’m no good at this, Luka! How could you possibly mean me? How could you possibly want –” she started, but he’d had enough.

“Because I love you!” he shouted, loud enough to be heard over her self-deprecating rant and shut her up. Her mouth was hanging open, and he pushed out a frustrated breath as he reached up to cup her cheek. He nudged her chin with his pinky, snapping her mouth shut. “Don’t you get that yet? I love you, Marinette. _You_. I don’t love how much you doubt yourself…”

She opened he mouth again, probably to argue, but with one look she was pursing her lips.

“Seriously, Marinette,” he said, brushing his thumb under her eye. “How do you…I have _never_ understood how you do that. How do you not see how incredible you are? That’s probably the only thing I _don’t_ love about you. I wish you could see yourself how I see you. I wish you believed you’re as amazing as I know you are. Of _course_ it’s you. Who else could it be?”

Her mouth pressed together a bit more firmly, and his lips quirked in a defeated little smile.

“What?” he asked, and she rolled her eyes.

“It’s just kind of easy to believe it when…” she started, but she sighed and shook her head. “Adrien only saw me as a friend. And I’m fine with that – really, I am! But…when you’re crazy about someone, and all they ever tell you is how great a _friend_ you are…”

“You _are_ a great friend,” he chuckled. His hand was still on her face, his thumb still stroking her cheek. “But I have to tell you…I’m interested in being so much more than just your friend, Mari. If you’ll have me.”

She sucked in a sharp breath, her eyes widening as she stared at him. He smiled, his own gaze drifting down to her lips. Her mouth was open again.

“Marinette…can I please kiss you now?” he asked. Her mouth opened a bit more, and he looked back up to her eyes with a grin. “I’ve been wanting to kiss you since I got here – a lot longer than that, actually – and now that I know you aren’t actually sick…”

“Are…are you _sure,_ Luka?” she asked softly. He was rolling his eyes before he’d even realized it.

“Can I kiss you and show you just how sure I am?” he asked. There was a teasing lilt to his voice that had her smiling, and he laughed. “I’m so sure. I wanted to ask you out, Mari. That’s what Dingo was asking me about – he knew I’ve been meaning to talk to you about us. Together. Dating. I didn’t mean to post it publicly, but when you liked it…I swear, Marinette, I thought you knew I was talking about you. And yeah, I know how you get about relationship stuff, so I figured you were just liking all the posts to tell me you wanted it, too. Without…y’know…actually saying it.”

“That is something I would do…” she mumbled, and he laughed as he leaned up and kissed her forehead. She was smiling when he looked back at her.

“So yeah, I went…a little overboard. But it’s kinda easy when it’s you,” he said. “And I was so sure you were gonna show up at practice, and I’d ask you out, and you’d finally let me kiss you…still waiting on your answer on that, by the way…”

“I feel so stupid,” she sighed, shaking her head.

“You’re not stupid,” he said. “You’re just…I don’t think a whole lot of people have loved you like you deserve, Mari. I’m really hoping you give me the chance to work on that.”

She laughed a little, shrugging.

“I’ve never had a boyfriend, so…yeah,” she said, but the look he gave her made her pause. It was more than that, though – more than Adrien or unrequited crushes or first boyfriends or any of that – and he hoped she knew that. Even the way her _best friend_ loved her left him questioning sometimes… “I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize,” he said.

“I am, though,” she said. “Can…can we start over? Try this again?”

He lifted an eyebrow and grinned at her, and she squeezed his shirt in her fists. She started bouncing, her face splitting with what he could only call a shit-eating grin.

“Oh my gosh, Luka! You had something to ask me after practice? Me, your _Mystery Girl?_ ” she asked, widening her eyes comically and blinking at him. He snorted at the silly voice she spoke in, shaking his head. She released part of his shirt to poke his stomach. “I…I really liked your song, too.”

“Oh my God, Marinette,” he laughed, and he let her go to pull his phone back out. She frowned, but he typed up a quick post before stashing it away again. “There. Ok. _Now_ do you believe me? Can I kiss you _now?_ ”

Her phone chimed, and when she pulled it out he smirked at the notification on her screen.

**_llcplaysguitar just made a new post._ ** _You seem to like them a whole lot._

She glanced up at him, and the way she stuck her tongue out at him did not help with the whole _wanting to kiss her_ thing.

“You like me a _whole lot?_ ” he teased, quirking his eyebrows at her. She bumped her shoulder into his chest before looking back at her phone.

**_llcplaysguitar posted:_** _ok, you guys have been asking all day…and I_ think _she’s ok with me saying…@mdcdesigns is the most incredible, wonderful, amazing girl in Paris and I’m reeeeally hoping once she reads this she lets me kiss her. or at the very least take her out tomorrow. (please @mdcdesigns? put a poor idiot out of his misery?)_

“…I’m going to kill you,” she laughed, looking up at him. He couldn’t stop grinning. His face was starting to hurt.

“I’ve been expecting that all day,” he said. She went to reblog his post, but he caught her hand and squeezed. “ _Marinette._ You’re killing me here.”

She laughed and let him take her phone, stashing it in the pocket of his hoodie. Her arms found their way around his neck, and his wrapped around her waist to pull her close.

…that felt kind of amazing. He didn’t think he’d ever get tired of feeling her against him like this.

“So…” she said, her smile growing as he leaned in. He hovered just above her lips, waiting. “…yes.”

“…to the kissing or the dating?” he asked. His grin turned a bit smirkish. “We seem to have trouble communicating. I just want to be one hundred percent clear here.”

Instead of answering, she grabbed the sides of his hood and tugged him down into a kiss. And it was…perfect. Everything he’d imagined and more. A little jarring, but everything with Marinette was jarring – a complete shock to his system. And it was over entirely too soon when she pulled back. The soft smile on her lips just made him want to kiss her again.

It was dizzying, knowing that he could.

“Both, you dork,” she said, and he chuckled as he pulled her back into another kiss.

Ok, then. Both…both was good.

– V –

Later – much later, after they had climbed up onto her bed with her laptop and cuddled under her blanket, watching old cartoons and discussing what they could do on their date the next day (and kissing – there was a _lot_ of kissing) – Marinette pulled her phone out of his pocket to pull up his post. He watched as she went to hit _reblog_ , his smile pressed against her shoulder when she clicked on the notes instead. His eyebrows soared and she snorted when they saw the first capslocked reply.

**_DingoAteMyBaby:_ ** _PICS OR IT DIDN’T HAPPEN ASSHOLES_

Marinette grinned up at him, and he knew he was in trouble. She leaned over the side of the bed to grab something, and his stomach flipped excitedly when she sat back up and he saw the tube of dark pink lipstick in her hand. He raised an eyebrow at her, and she smirked at him once the lipstick had been applied. If he’d thought her lips were kissable before…

“He wants _proof_ , Luka,” she said simply, and then he yelped as she tackled him back onto her bed. A few minutes later – or longer than a few minutes, he wasn’t sure and really didn’t care – she was pulling up her camera, and he snorted when he saw the copious amounts of lipstick staining his skin. Well, there certainly couldn’t be any doubt _now_ , he supposed…she’d even kissed his knuckles, then winked at him as she kissed his middle finger.

She raised her camera, and then his hand was in her hair and he was pulling her mouth back to his. One of her hands cupped his cheek while the other held her camera out, and he held up the hand with his kiss-marked middle finger raised tall and proud.

Because Dingo had wanted _proof_ , Marinette was more than willing to give it, and he’d be damned if he was going to pass up the opportunity.

She handed him some tissues as she went to reblog his post, attaching the photo and tagging Dingo in the process, but he was in no hurry to clean up. He wiped the lipstick off his hand at least before he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back against his chest as they settled back onto her pillows. He snickered when he saw her notifications start to blow up (he had silenced his own phone, but he could imagine), but before she could check them he put the phone back in his pocket.

“Later,” he said, kissing her again. She giggled as she took the tissues from his hand, grinning as she wiped at his cheek. She’d need to get her makeup remover, but she was too comfortable to move just yet.

“Ok,” she said, smiling when he kissed her neck. “Later.”

**_mdcdesigns reblogged:_ ** _@DingoAteMyBaby proof enough?_ 😝 _#BestDayEver w/ @llcplaysguitar_


End file.
